Meet your host
Marcelo Costa100% Carioca
Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Marcelo has spent years guiding travellers from every continent through his city — in English, Portuguese, Spanish, French. What people remember is rarely the monument. It's the day feeling like it was made for them.
Short biography
Forty years of Rio, hospitality and the world
A born-and-raised Carioca with a deep knowledge of Rio de Janeiro, Marcelo brings more than 40 years of experience in hospitality and tourism. As a concierge in five-star hotels, he worked through the city's biggest international events — including the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games — and looked after guests such as Madonna, Amy Winehouse and members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
His path has also crossed borders: he has lived in the United States, Mexico and Egypt, worked in several countries across Europe and North America, and was in Qatar during the 2022 World Cup.
This mix of international experience, high-end hospitality and a genuinely Carioca eye makes Marcelo a rare host: someone who knows Rio like the back of his hand and knows how to show it through its many angles, stories and experiences.
His approach
Guiding is hospitality, not narration
Anyone can recite dates in front of a monument. Marcelo's work starts earlier: knowing which viewpoint has the light at 4pm, which street feels right on a Sunday, when to stop for a coffee because the group needs it, and when to change the whole afternoon because the clouds came in over Corcovado.
He hosts one group at a time. That's what makes it possible to adapt — and what makes travellers describe the day as spending time with a friend who happens to know everything about Rio.
Honesty about the city
Rio is beautiful and complicated. Marcelo talks about both, and helps you move through it with confidence rather than fear.
Attention to your group
He reads energy. If the plan is not working, the plan changes — that's the whole point of travelling privately.
Pride without postcards
He shows the Rio he actually loves: the neighbourhoods, the food, the football, the people, the ordinary Tuesday afternoons.
Next step
Plan your days with Marcelo
Share your dates and interests, and he'll reply personally with a first direction for your trip.